So, why are we doing this?

We love these two-wheeled machines, especially those that work as intended, that aren’t constrained by hidden cables and non-threaded bottom bracket standards that seem only to be there to promote the necessity to upgrade to stay current.  Don’t get us wrong, there are some great bikes out there that suffer from these trends and still perform, it’s just not our personal taste.  We may sound like curmudgeons, but we believe there is a point at which pushing the envelope of design doesn’t make things better, especially in a case where they already worked very well.  When those incremental improvements become infinitesimal and no longer seem to translate into a better experience, or come at the cost of every day functionality is where we lose interest.  It seems part of an all too common planned obsolescence – if we make it “cheap” and introduce “new” technologies every year, then when that material or part begins to crap out the customer will just buy a new one.  This notion runs counter to our sense of what is good and right.  Especially when applied to a product that plays such an important role in our lives.  To us the bicycle is a therapeutic machine, a self-improving-sanity-saver.  We would rather spend our time and energy promoting products and bikes that are made to grow with you, inspire you to ride, make you happy and we can stand behind.

When we started talking about this idea we were fed up being hampered by an inability to help in the way we knew was right.  We struggled to provide our customers with products that we know are good.  It pained us to know what was out there, in the wide world of cycling and not be able to offer that to our customers.  And customers isn’t even the right word, ’cause to do this job right you must develope more meaningful relationships.  You have to trust each other and naturally that turns to friendship.  Knowing that there was a better solution for any given problem and not to have it gave us headaches.  So the time came to take this frustration and turn it into something good for us and for our friends.

Our goal is to create a space that feels right and allows us to do the job the way it needs to be done.  As bicycles have become more and more expensive and complicated, a keen attention to detail and a higher level of focus is required to get things right.  Enter Diablo HQ, the perfect place – smack dab in the middle of some of LA’s most well-known routes, a breezy open space with a lovely yard and a comfortable vibe.  This place of peace and tranquility is without the constant interruptions inherent in a traditional retail space with the constant flow of foot traffic we.  Here, we’re allowed to approach the bicycle business in a new way; working by appointment leaves plenty of time to get things right without sacrificing our collective sanity.

It’s a brave new world.  But really its a bike shop, we are just trying to approach it differently.